Candida albicans 
The dimorphic fungus Candida albicans is one of the most significant human fungal pathogens, particularly in immuno-compromised patients. This fungus can infect and colonize in a wide range of micro-environments in the body including the blood stream, superficial sites in the mucosa and all of the major internal organs, during systemic infections.1,2 
A distinguishing feature of C. albicans is the yeast-mycelium dimorphism. The yeast-to-mycelium morphogenic transition is one of several essential virulence attributes in human pathogenesis. The yeast-to-mycelium morphogenic transition is triggered by various signals, including serum, high temperature, neutral pH, nutrient poor media, and certain chemicals such as N-acetylglucosamine. It appears that many of the responses to these signals reflect normal interactions between the fungus and its host in vivo.
The yeast-to-mycelium transition has been shown to be one of several virulence attributes that enable C. albicans to invade human tissues.3-5 Patients with serious disease generally have filaments of C. albicans penetrating the infected tissue. Various genes involved in hyphal morphogenesis have been identified, including cek1, cla4, cpp1, cst20, and tup1, encoding MAP kinase, PAK, phosphatase, MEKK kinase, and transcription factor, respectively. Mutation of these genes blocked C. albicans yeast-to-mycelium transition and attenuated its virulence against mouse animal models.6,7 
Several categories of natural and synthetic chemicals have been evaluated in recent years against C. albicans cell growth and dimorphism transition. A novel cyclic β-amino acid that inhibits isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase was shown to inhibit cell growth of C. albicans.8 Carvone and perillaldehyde were found to interfere with the formation of filamentous structures of C. albicans.9 
An autoregulatory substance (ARS) from the eukaryote C. albicans, characterized as 3,7,11-trimethyl-2,6,10-dodecatrienoic acid (farnesoic acid), inhibits C. albicans germ tube (mycelium) formation and appears to play a key role in the regulation of the morphological transition in C. albicans.10 Its derivatives have been evaluated for their activity in regulation of morphological transitions in C. albicans and it was concluded that the trans isomer of farnesoic acid is essential for its potent inhibition of the yeast-to-mycelium transition.11 
Farnesol, a close derivative of ARS, was shown to prevent mycelial development of C. albicans in both growth morphology assay and differentiation assay using three chemically distinct activators for germ tube formation (L-proline, N-acetylglucosamine, and serum).12 
Farnesol and its metabolite farnesoic acid (ARS) is also found in higher life forms, including humans. They are generated intracellularly and some of the farnesyl derivatives are required for synthesis of cholesterol, steroids, retinoids, and farnesylated proteins.16,17 Moreover, farnesol metabolites have been implicated as signalling molecules in the regulation of cholesterol degradation through activation of FXR, a nuclear receptor which represses cholesterol metabolism pathway.16,18 Conceivably, tipping over the subtle balance of these important intermediates and cellular signals may lead to substantial changes in normal physiological processes.
A diffusible signal factor (DSF) from the plant pathogen Xanthomonas campestris is a prokaryotic cell-cell communication signal and required for bacterial virulence,13 but little is known about its structure and scope of function.
Rapid emergence of antibiotic resistance demands development of alternative approaches to prevent and control infectious diseases. As the lethal effect of antibiotics is the common cause to force microbes to mutate and survive, non-antimicrobial means of controlling C. albicans and other microorganisms could be useful to avoid or delay the development of antibiotic-resistance. Inhibiting the yeast-to-mycelium transition avoids selection of resistant organisms.
Synthesis of α,β-Unsaturated Fatty Acids
Methods for producing short chain (less than 8 carbons) cis-α,β-unsaturated fatty acids using the Favorsky rearrangement of corresponding 1,3-dibromo-2-ones in alkaline solution at room temperature are reported in the art which also reports that best yields are obtained when using potassium bicarbonate.14,15 
It is an object of the present invention to provide an alternative means for controlling Candida albicans infection or to at least provide the public with a useful choice.